Rodrigo López splashed onto the Sacramento soccer scene in 2013. The 5-foot-8 midfielder, affectionately known as RoRo, was the first player Sac Republic FC ever signed! He was also the club's first MVP in their first USL Championship win in 2014. For this 35-year-old married father of two, fútbol and family is a way of life, and it's always been that way. "I started watching my dad play I always had a soccer ball around me, always on the field with him. When he was playing I was in the back playing," López said.Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, his family moved to California when he was just 11 months old."I'm very proud to be Mexican American this country has given me a lot, I'm a citizen of the U.S. but I still love Mexico," he said.His dad left his job as a professional soccer player in Mexico to find a better life for his family in America, working as a farmworker. "When I first got to Ventura, my dad started working in the fields picking fruits and veggies before we moved to Santa Barbara," López said.His hardworking parents worked several jobs to fund his passion for soccer. "My mom always worked two jobs as long as I can remember, she always worked a day job and a night job," López said.He grew up watching Mexican soccer. "I always dreamed of playing in Mexico, obviously a dream that came true," López said. His dream is now a reality with his own sons by his side, and his eldest son, Roman, is already following in his dad's footsteps.Lopez says Roman loves the Sac Republic FC as much, if not more than he does!"Roman goes to sleep watching Sac Republic games on youtube and watching our games over and over and I can tell he has a passion for the team," López said.Roman has grown up on the Sac Republic pitch, he joins his dad for practices and games when he is not in school. "It means a lot to me that my teammates treat him like a little brother," López said.Roman has also changed his dad's career for the better. López said, "The first half of my professional career I didn't work hard. I thought my talent was going to take me somewhere and to the highest level and it didn't. It wasn't until I had Roman that I started working harder." His hard work is really paying off, López is the team captain and he seems to be getting better with time. He led his team to a historic appearance in the U.S. Open Cup Final. López credits his dad's early instruction and training for his technique. "I really believe I learned everything from him. It's because of him, it wasn't me, it was him teaching me. He was really hard on me and now I can tell he is really proud," he said.López now shares that pride in watching the next generation of soccer players, passing on his commitment to family and fútbol.